Combination lock



Patented Feb. 6, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1,946,376 COMBINATION LOCK Jasper Whiting, Dublin, N. H. Application January 6, '1931. Serial No. 506,930 6 Claims. (01. 70-53) This invention relates to combination locks. It is the chief object of the invention to devise .a lock of this type which will be suitable for use in a great variety of places such as boxes, closets, cabinets, drawers, and the like, where such locks are not commonly used at the present time. To

understood from the following vide a number of combinations, and in which the comthis end the invention aims particularly to procombination lock which will have a. great bination can be readily changed, but which also can be manufactured very economically.

The nature of the invention will be readily description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Inthe drawing,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a small cabinet, or container equipped with a combination lock embodying features of this invention; Fig. 2 is a side view illustrating the lock shown in Fig. 1;

p the casing together.

Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the parts of the lock illustrated in Fig. 2; and

- Fig. 4 is a side view showing another embodimentof the invention.

Referring first to Figs. 2 and 3, the look there shown comprises a casing including front and rear plates 2 and 3, respectively, the ends of the front plate 2 being bent to provide flanges 4 and 5. Projecting from the edges of these flanges are ears 6 which may be bent into depressions 7 in the rear plate 3 to hold the two members of Two spacing lugs 7 -7 also are struck up from the material of the front plate 2 and serve to space the rear plate 3 from the front plate 2.

.Slidably mounted in the casing is a locking bolt 8 having a fiat sided head portion 10, Fig. 3, to slide between the lugs 7-'7, and including also a cylindrical shank which extends through the hole 12, Fig. 3, in the flange 1 of the casing. A

coiled spring 13 encircles the cylindrical portion of the bolt and bears at one end against the head 10 and at its opposite end against the flange members comprise two disks the edges of which the head of the bolt 8 is held normally by the spring 13.

Both disks are supported on a hollow shaft 16 which preferably, but not necessarily, is made integral withthe disk 14. Holes formed in the casing plates 2 and 3 support the opposite end portions of the shaft 16 for rotation and a knob shaft and in order to rotate it coacting lugs 18;.

and 19 are formed on the respective disks 15 and 14. Normally the loose disk 15 is held against rotation with the shaft 16 preferably by means of a washer 20 made of felt, leather, or other friction material, and located 3 of the casing and the disk 15 where it bears yieldingly against the latter. It should be noted that the shaft 16 is provided with a shoulder 21, Fig. 3, against which the disk 15 is held by the friction washer 20, this shoulder cooperating with the washer to hold the disk 15 spaced from and in a substantially parallel relationship to the disk 14.

As above indicated, the bolt 8 normally is held in its projected position by the two disks. Each disk,.however, is provided with a notch to receive a part of the bolt so that when the two notches are alined with the bolt the spring then pushes the bolt automatically into its retracted or unlocked position. The notch 23 provided for this purpose in the disk 15 is made relatively narrow and is designed to cooperate with a thin part a, Fig. 3, of the bolt head 10, but the notch 24 in the disk 14 is bevelled, or is made somewhat V-shaped, to cooperate with a similarly shaped portion 1) of the bolt, these parts being designed to enable the disk 14 to cam the bolt into its projected position against the action of the spring 13.

The knob 17 carries the usual graduated dial 25 which is adapted to cooperate with a pointer or marker 26, Fig. 1, to assist in operating the look. In addition, the knob is adjustably connected to the shaft 16 so that its angular relationship to the shaft can be changed at will. This may be accomplished in a variety of ways. In the arrangement shown the end of the shaft 16 is toothed, as'shown at 26, to engage corresponding teeth 27 on the hub 28 of the knob 17. A screw 30 extending axially through the casing and the shaft 16 and. threaded into the hub 28 secures the shaft and the hub together in their adjusted positions. This screw also holds the casing plates together with the front plate 2 abutting against the shoulder at the. rear end of the hub 28.

In using this lock, and assuming that the bolt 8 is in its projected or locked position, the knob 1'7 is revolved to a number determined by the combination, this number being so selected that between the wall I essentially the same features primed numerals which when it is reached the notch 23 then is directly in line with the part a of the bolt head 10. This rotation of the disk 15 is produced through the engagement of the lug 19 with the lug 18. The knob then is revolved in the opposite direction, the disk 15 during this movement being held stationary by the friction washer 20 until the notch 24 of the cam disk 14 comes into alinement with the parb b of the bolt head 10. When this occurs the spring 13 immediately moves the bolt 8 inwardly into its unlocked position. As soon as the knob 17 is again turned in either direction the resulting rotation of the cam disk 14 projects the bolt 8 again into its locked position where it is held until the combination is again worked properly.

In order to change the combination it is simply necessary to back out the screw 30 sufficiently to release the toothed surfaces 26 and 27 from each other, and then to rotate the knob 17 into a different angular relationship to the shaft 16, the screw 30 then being tightened up to secure the knob on the shaft in its new relationship.

The invention thus provides a very simple form of lock, which is positive in its operation, and is very thin so that it can be used in the doors of cabinets, the covers of boxes, and in similar locations. Preferably the knob with its dial 25 and hub 28, the combined cam disk 14 and shaft 16, and the bolt 8 are made by the die casting method. The other parts can be punched from sheet metal except the spring 13, screw 30, and washer 20 which can be made by the usual methods. The assembling operation is very simple. Consequently, the entire expense for labor and material can be reduced to an exceptionally low figure.

A slightly more complicated lock embodying is shown in Fig. 4. It is like the construction illustrated in Fig. 2 except that an additional disk 32, like the disk 15, is loosely mounted on the shaft 16' at the opposite side of the cam disk from-the disk 15. A friction washer 33 is interposed between this disk and the wall of the casing to hold the disk normally against rotation with the shaft. The cam disk 14' is provided with an additional lug 34 to engage a similar lug 35 on the disk 32 in order to revolve this disk when desired. This disk 32 also has a narrow notch like that formed in the disk 15 to receive a thin portion a of the bolt head 2) this head being made somewhat wider than in the construction shown in Fig. 2. In other respects the parts of this construction are like those shown in Fig. 2 except, of course, for suitable changes in dimensions, and the corresponding parts are designated by the same but are used to designate similar parts in Fig. 2.

The addition of the disk 32 greatly increases the number of combinations obtainable, as will be obvious to those skilled in this art. In addition, the knob 1'7 is adjustably connected to the shaft 16' as in the construction previously described.

While I have herein shown and described preferred embodiments of my invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms without departing from the spirit or scope thereof.

- Having thus described my invention, what I desire to claim as new is:

1. A combination lock comprising a shaft, a disk fast on said shaft, a second disk mounted loosely on said shaft and close beside said first disk, a casing in which said shaft and disks are operatively supported, said shaft having a shoulder for positioning said loose disk, a friction member bearing yieldingly against said loose disk and holding it against said shoulder, said disks having cooperating lugs through which the second disk may be driven by revolving the first disk, the first mentioned disk being free from the action of said friction member, a knob fast on said shaft but having an adjustable connection therewith for permitting its angular position relatively to the shaft to be changed at will, and a locking bolt controlled by said disks.

2. A combination lock comprising a cam disk, a hollow shaft integral with said disk, a second disk loosely mounted on said shaft closely adjacent to and parallel with said cam disk, coacting lugs on said disks through which the loose disk may be driven by revolving the cam disk, friction means for holding said loose disk against rotation except when driven by said cam disk, a casing in which said disks and said shaft are operatively supported, said casing including front and rear plates, 2, bolt controlled by said disks, said disks having notches to receive said bolt, a knob mounted on the end of said shaft, and a screw extending through said shaft and said rear casing plate and threaded into said knob and serving to secure said knob operatively to the shaft and to hold said rear casing plate in its operative position.

3. A combination lock comprising a shaft, a cam disk fast on said shaft, two disks mounted loosely on said shaft at opposite sides of said cam disk, a casing in which said disks and shaft are operatively mounted, friction disks interposed between said casing and said loose disks and bearing against the end faces of the latter disks for preventing their rotation with said shaft except when driven by said cam disk, a knob secured on the end of said shaft but being angularly adjustable with reference to the shaft, means for securing said knob and said shaft in their adjusted relationship, a locking bolt arranged to be projected by said cam disk, a spring for pressing said bolt against the edges of said disks, said disks each having a notch therein to receive said bolt, and cooperating lugs on said disks through which the loose disks may be revolved in either direction by rotating said cam disk.

4. A combination lock comprising a shaft, a cam disk fast on said shaft, a second disk loosely mounted on said shaft closely adjacent to and parallel with said cam disk, coacting lugs on said disks through which the loose disk may be driven by revolving the cam disk, a friction disk bearing yieldingly against the end face of said loose disk and preventing it from rotating except when driven by said cam disk, said cam disk being free from the action of said friction disk, a casing in which said disks and said shaft are operatively supported, a bolt controlled by said disks, said disks having notches to receive said bolt, and a knob mounted on the end of said shaft for rotating said shaft.

5. A combination lock comprising a shaft, a cam disk fast on said shaft, two disks mounted loosely on said shaft at opposite sides of said cam disk, a casing in which said disks and shaft are operatively mounted, friction disks interposed between said casing and said loose disks and bearing against the end faces of the latter disks for preventing their rotation with said shaft except when driven by said cam disk, a knob on the end of said shaft for rotating said shaft, a locking bolt arof said disks having a V-shaped notch therein; a locking bolt controlled jointly by said disks; said bolt including a locking portion, a V-shaped cam portion to enter said V-shaped notch in one of said disks and also having a relatively thin flange extending laterally from said cam portion to enter a notch in the other disk, and a knob for rotating said shaft.

JASPER WHITING. 

